Sky Above, Home Below
by veronica.toon.7
Summary: Suggested by Alexriolover95: Short story that explains Aqua's daily life in the Scarlet macaw tribe before Blu came into it.


**First off I'd like to thank Alexriolover95 for sending me this idea and for giving me the inspiration for it. Secondly, it is about my OC character, Aqua, from my other Rio story, "Aqua Blue", and explains Aqua's daily life in the Scarlet macaw tribe before Blu came into it.**

 **I own nothing. Rio 2 and all its content belongs to its respectful owners. I don't own the cover image either. I just own my OC, Aqua.**

 **Enjoy the story!**

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Sunlight filtered through the small hollow fixated right in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. In the middle of the hollow, three macaws slept peacefully in a nest made of moss and shed down feathers. By the looks of the two adults sleeping, both with feathers as red as roses, it was clear to tell that this was the home to a pair of Scarlet macaws and their chicks. However, if you looked closer, you would see that something was different about the family.

The male awoke first and stretched his wings out as he squinted through the light that was infiltrating his hollow and disturbing his sleep. His movements disturbed his mate who awoke with a large yawn and lifted her wing covering her daughter like a blanket. This was where you could spot the significant different. Contrasting heavily to both her parents, the little chick awoke as well and a shiver passed through her aqua blue feathers as she was taken away from the warm blanket of her mom's swing. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a calm, rich hazel color underneath.

The mother macaw smiled at her daughter and gave her a small kiss on the forehead as she sat up in the nest. The chick cooed and smiled back up at her mother.

"Good morning, mommy," she said.

"Good morning, Aqua. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes mommy. Did you and daddy sleep well too?" Aqua replied. Her mother and father nodded. Her father then came over and kissed her mother and ruffled her head affectionately.

"Well I have a hard working day in front of me. I will see you both later. Goodbye, my love. Goodbye, Aqua. You both have a wonderful day, " he said before heading out the hollow.

"Bye Felipe," his wife called.

"Bye daddy," Aqua called out to him. Then she turned her head over to her mother.

"So... what are we going to do today, mom?" Mara smiled at her daughter.

"Well first we're not going to do anything until we get some breakfast first. So c'mon, let's go before the rest eat them all," she replied as they both took to flight towards the Brazil nut grove.

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Aqua nibbled on her nut on a branch a bit away from her mother. It wasn't because she wished to isolate herself, but some of her mother's friends had seen her and they were chatting with her now. She preferred to stay away by herself as she took in her breakfast. It wasn't that her mom's friends were mean, they just weren't so... enthusiastic of her being here. In the tribe really.

She heard noise from up above and saw several flashes of red too. In some higher branches next to her, several Scarlet macaw chicks were playing fútbol with a Brazil nut. Their laughing and happiness made Aqua's heart ache with longing to join them, but her fear held her back. After a few tries at joining in previously she had learned a few things.

She flinched and nearly dropped her meal in surprise when she heard a loud, resounding 'thunk' in front of her. Her head snapped forward and down to a fork in the branch she was on where a small Brazil nut case had lodged itself in it. Her foot hesitantly extended towards it and plucked it out of the fork in the wood. she examined it as she heard several voices from up above tell each other to go get the ball.

Suddenly, she nearly jumped in surprise when a red blur zoomed and hovered right before her. A young boy chick stared at her with narrowed eyes. It took only a second to realize that Aqua was holding his ball, which his eyes were focused on. She smiled sheepishly at him and threw it towards him. He caught it by its stem, stared at her for a few more seconds and then, to her surprise, threw the nut away without so much ads blinking or bothering to look at it.

"C'mon guys, we need to find another ball. This one is gross," he said as he turned and flew up back to his playmates. Aqua felt her heart sink in her chest and she dipped her head sorrowfully. She could feel emotion welling behind each of her eyes, but she pushed it down. She would not cry, big birds don't cry.

Her head turned to the side where he had tossed the nut and, to her shock, she saw that it had lodged itself again, except now in-between another tree branch and the trunk. She sighed and decided to fly over to it. She thought she might toss it around for a little while before eating it. Her stomach growled in agreement as she glided over to it, since it was a short distance. She landed on the branch beside it and outstretched her leg to grasp her prize and pull it in...

Only to shriek and retract it in surprise when she felt something touch her foot. She backed away, leaning backwards as she prepared to see the monstrous creature that had touched her toes and would probably eat or harm her now.

She felt a wave of embarrassment come over her and thought that the blush on her cheeks made her feather bright purple now when the face of a young, girl. Scarlet macaw chick met her gaze. She had the typical Scarlet macaw colors, along with a white beak and face, along with black eyes. What really shocked Aqua though was the curious smile on her face, compared to everyone else's, aside from her parents, weirded out or disgusted faces.

"Hey," she said in a sweet voice that nearly made Aqua yelp in surprise. "I think you were looking for this." She lifted up her foot a there was the Brazil nut in it. Aqua stared shocked at the nut, then the foot, then the chick, before numbly reaching out and taking the nut slowly out of her talons.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered out. The other girl's smile grew wider.

"You're very welcome." She stuck her foot out further so she could grasp it. "My name's Lisa. What's yours?"

"A-Aqua," she replied. Her mind was still having trouble processing all this. Why was this chick acting so nice to her? Why wasn't she like the others who treated her like she was invisible from afar?

"Hey, I noticed you were watching the others playing fútbol with the nut. Would you like to play some fútbol with me," she asked, snapping Aqua out of her thoughts. Before her mind could even process the request, her head nodded. Lisa squealed in joy and took her wing.

"Well come on them. Let's play some fútbol," she said excitedly.

* * *

Mara left with her friends for some hours, knowing that Aqua was old enough to take care of herself for a little while. When she came back to the grove to get some dinner, she hadn't expected Aqua, her daughter, to be playing with another chick, a Scarlet, and looking like she was enjoying herself. The two were kicking a nut around, laughing and cheering as they kicked it into makeshift goals made of leaves, twigs and vines.

She was watching the two in awe and pure joy, glad to see her daughter interacting and communicating with someone her own age. The sight of them being so happy playing together almost brought her to tears. When Aqua saw her, she immediately flew up and hug her while talking excitedly as the other chick followed.

"Mama! Mama! I had a great time today! This is Lisa. She's my new best friend," she said, almost in one breath. She looked down and smiled at Lisa.

"Well it is very nice to meet you Lisa," she said. Lisa nodded and smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you too. Aqua is really fun, we played fútbol together," she replied.

"Oh did you both," she playfully asked. Two nods responded.

"Yeah, and Lisa's really fun too. Can I play with her for a little while longer, mommy," she asked, practically throwing herself at her feet and begging with her adorable, hazel eyes.

"Of course you can dear. I'm just going to get some food to eat, but you two can play for as long as you like," she replied,. The two squeals of happiness from the two chicks would had been payment enough, but then the two ran up and hugged her tightly with their wings and simultaneously said, "thank you," before flying off and playing again.

Mara watched as they went some feet away and smiled. _"Liz and Alex's younger sister. Such a sweet chick, a good influence and friend for my Aqua,"_ she thought before she flew off in search for a nice nut to eat, assured that her daughter would be doing just fine with her new best friend.

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 **Thank you all for reading and thanks again for suggesting this, Alexriolover95. Please leave a review with some feedback and thanks for coming out and checking my story. Sincerely, v.t.7**


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